Keeping Cool on the Hot Seat: Dealing Effectively with the Media in Times of Crisis

Bad things happen to good organizations. You read about it every day -- accidents, workplace violence, allegations of wrongdoing, environmental damage, hospital mistakes, embezzlements. If it is your organization that suddenly finds itself in the glare of the media and Internet spotlights, you need to know how to respond quickly and effectively to protect your corporate and personal reputations. What you say and do in the opening moments of a crisis will likely set the tone for how the rest of the coverage will go. You must be prepared, not thinking your management team can just "wing it." This book has been used by many organizations of all types as an adjunct to the media training they receive from professional crisis communications professionals. It has been adopted as a text by more than a dozen colleges in undergraduate and graduate courses in PR, enviornmental communication, emergency response, crisis/strategic communications. The author was "in the trenches" as the corporate spokesperson for a chemical manufacturing company that made a very smelly chemical that frequently made neighbors angry and brought the media for comment. Her advice is practical and easily understandable with many concrete tips for those who find themselves "on the hot seat."